Stack packer

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for aligning and holding a compressible stack of flat articles while the stack is being surrounded with an endless band or sleeve or is being enclosed within a container, includes movable gates which move upwardly successively one in front and the other behind a stack of flat articles moved along a tabletop and then move relatively toward each other to compress the stack between the gates while a sleeve or container is placed around the stack. The gates are then retracted. The motions follow one another in timed sequence.

United States Patent Crandlemire Dec. 11, 1973 STACK PACKER 2,982,063 5/1961 Coleman etal 100 3 ux [76] Inventor: Roger C. Crandlemire, 159

Washington St Duxbury Mass Primary ExammerB1lly J. W1lh1te 02332 I I Attorney-Rowland V. Patrick [22] Filed: May 25, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT PP N05 256,775 Apparatus for aligning and holding a compressible stack of flat articles while the stack is being sur- |521 Cl u 100/49, 100/3, 100/226 rounded with an endless band or sleeve or is being en- 51 1111.01. 83% 15/14 clcscd Within ccmsincr includcs movable gsccs [58} Field of Search 100/3 232 226 which mcvc upwardly successively cnc from and 100/7 48 49 53/219 S the other behind a stack of flat articles moved along a tabletop and then move relatively toward each other [56] References Cited to compress the stack between the gates while a sleeve or container is placed around the stack. The gates are UNITED STATES PATENTS then retracted. The motions follow one another in 740,852 10 1903 Henry 53/219 timed Sequence. 466,075 12/1891 Brown 100/232 X 766,557 8/1904 Uhlenkott 100/232 3 Claims, '18 Drawing Figures Pmcmcnnm 1 ma SHEET 10F 2 a, an /0 40 FIG 2 FIG 4 FIG I SHEET 2 OF 2 I8 FIG FIG I8 FIG 7a 18 FIG 8a 18 FIG II I B H II\ I FIG 5 FIG 6 FIG 7 FIG 8 24 A70 KIs FIG 9 FIG IO II PM U FIG Ila 2 O 4 2 4 HUI 8 2 H w Q 4 2 m K- Pn TILJI U w 0 I II m n O STACK PACKER This invention relates to the packing of flat articles and more particularly to enclosing a stack of flat articles within a confining, endless band, sleeve or container.

The invention is of particular use in performing one step in the packing of identical empty folding cartons of the type used for packaging frozen and other foods. Such cartons are fabricated from flat sheet material which is die-cut to form the necessary flaps for sealing purposes and then certain flaps or other portions are folded and glued so that after shipment to a food factory in knocked-down form the cartons can be set up and filled with food or other products.

Since the cartons are used in great quantities, it is usual to pack them as a stack within a large carton. Desirably, the large cartons have dimensions such that-a stack of contained folded blanks has a snug fit yet without complicating the operation of inserting the stack into the large carton.

In accordance with this invention, a given number of cartons emerging from a conventional gluer stacker machine advance on their edges along a table towards a banding station which is provided with stack positioning and confining means for retaining a stack of the cartons in a compressed neat horizontal stack while a confining band in the form of an endless sleeve is lowered around the stack. The confining instrumentalities are then withdrawn leaving the banded stack free to proceed along the table towards a final casing station. The band may take the form of the four sides of a box having a bottom, the box being lowered upside down over the stack.

The confining means include a rear gate which is movable from a position below the tabletop into an operative position extending above the tabletop in the path of a stack of flat folded cartons advancing along the table.

Also included is a transversely movable guide against which the cartons can be pushed as they move into the banding station was to align the back edges of the cartons, the guide being movable away from the stack of cartons after they have been aligned so as to permit the band to be lowered over the cartons without the guide interfering.

The other instrumentality at the banding station is a forward gate which is moved from a position below the tabletop to a position extending above the tabletop after a stack of flat folded cartons has passed along the table beyond this instrumentality. This forward gate then moves in the direction of the trailing portion of the stack of cartons so as to squeeze and compress the stack of cartons against the rear gate. Because of the compressibility of the folds in the folded cartons, an endless sleeve or container as of paper, corrugated paper, paperboard, or cardboard can be lowered over the stack and gates while the gates are in compressing position. A microswitch is in the path of the sleeve and when the sleeve hits the microswitch, gate-moving means are actuated to retract the gates to their original positions ready for the next cycle.

The structure and operation of the instrumentalities for accomplishing the objects of the invention will be better understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. '1 is a perspective view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 partly broken away to reveal two of the instrumentalities located at the banding station;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view broken away and partly in cross-section to show all three instrumentalities located at the banding station;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an electro-pneumatic system for operating the instrumentalities at the banding station;

FIGS. 5 through 11 are schematic representations, in side elevation, of the successive positions of the instrumentalities and the cartons being handed during one cycle of the apparatus; and

FIGS. 5a through 11a are plan views of the instrumentalities and articles in the positions shown in the side views of FIGS. 5-11.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cabinet 16 having a stationary tabletop 18, the structure being intended for placement at the right against the discharge end of a carton gluer stacker and at the left against the input end of an empty carton holder.

The cabinet conceals mechanisms which cause movements of three sets of confining means, including a rear gate 20, an edge guide 22 and a forward gate 24. Each gate comprises as shown three fingers, the fingers of the rear gate 20 extending up through apertures 30 and the three fingers of the forward gate 24 extending up through three slots 32.

The edge guide 22 always remains above the tabletop, but its supporting legs 36 extend upwardly through a pair of slots at the back of the tabletop and between the two gates 20 and 24. r

The rear gate is mounted on the piston member of a pneumatic cylinder 40 and the fingers of the forward gate 24 are similarly mounted on the piston member of a pneumatic cylinder 42. This latter cylinder is also mounted for movement back and forth beneath the table as impelled by a piston 44 of a horizontal air cylinder 46.

Air cylinder 50 at the back of the machine operates the edge guide 22 back and forth transversely in the slots 36.

The air cylinders 40, 42, 46 and 50 are supplied with fluid pressure, for example air, from a line 60, the movement of the pistons by the air cylinders being controlled by solenoid valves 62, 64, 66 and 68 as energized through a timer in each of the circuits of the valves 64, 66 and 68. The pistons thus advance and retract in timed relation with the initial advance of the piston of cylinder 40 of the rear gate mechanism when actuated by valve 62.

The sequence of operation may be better understood by reference to the .second sheet of drawings.

FIG. 5 illustrates a first position showing the rear and forward gates 20 and 24 retracted below the tabletop as in FIG. 1 and with a stack B of folded cartons for one fill standing on edge vertically as they advance on the table in a direction away from a gluer stacker (not shown).

Interposed in the pathway of the stack is a switch lever 70 which, when lowered by contact of the stack, closes an electric circuit to the solenoid valve 62 of the rear gate cylinder 40, thus raising the rear gate 20 into the path of the advancing stack. In the instance shown, the motion of the stack is intended to be manual by an operator who places two hands at the forward and back portions of the stack and slides the stack across the table. I

The timer 72 to the cylinder 50 of the edge guide next actuates the edge guide 22 as shown in FIG. 6a to align the back of the cartons.

Also in timed relation to the actuation of the rear gate, the timer 74 to the solenoid valve 64 of the cylinder 42 raises the forward gate to the position shown in FIG. 7 and the timer 76 controlling the solenoid valve 66 leading to the cylinder 46 moves the forward gate 24 to the stack compressing position illustrated in FIG. 8.

Meanwhile, the edge guide 22 has been retracted to the position shown in FIG. 7a.

As soon as the forward gate 24 reaches the position shown in FIG. 8, the operator moves a sleeve or container 80 down over the compressed stack as indicated in FIGS. 8 and 9 and as the sleeve or container 80 reaches the bottom of its motion as shown in FIG. 10, it hits a microswitch 82 which operates the solenoids to reverse the motions of the rear and forward gates and retract them below the tabletop so that the now banded stack may be moved off to the left.

The mechanism then comes to rest at the termination of the cycle with a second advancing stack C of an equal number of folded cartons advancing as shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 when a new cycle may be initiated. The operator manually moves the banded stack out of the confining station and towards a final casing station located beyond the discharge end of the apparatus of this invention.

In this manner one operator may very quickly move a stack of folded cartons against the rear gate, lining up the back edges against the edge guide 22, letting go of the cartons as they are compressed between the rear and forward gates. The operator reaches for a sleeve or container and drops it over the compressed stack and gates with the sleeve or container automatically actuating the gate mechanisms to retract from the banded stack whereupon the operator manually discharges the said surface to a position above said surface re-' sponsive to movement of a stack of folded cartons across said switch;

timing means actuated by said switch for moving said front gate to its position above the tabletop responsive to movement of said rear gate to its position extending above said tabletop;

means for moving said gates while they extend above said surface relatively towards each other to squeeze a stack of articles positioned therebetween; and

means for retracting said gates to positions below said surface after said stack has been enclosed within an endless band while being compressed between said gates.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having in addition, an edge guide movable from the back of said table transversely towards and away from said rear gate while said rear gate extends above said surface.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having a switch extending above said tabletop in the path of an endless band when the band descends over said switch, said gates being retracted to positions below said tabletop surface responsive to actuation of said switch by the endless band as it descends over a stack of articles while they are compressed between said gates.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,777, 57 Dated December 1973 lnventxofls) Roger C. Crandlemire It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. l, line 6, change "tale" to -table-.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of April 1971;.

(SEAL)- Attest: EDWARD I LFLE'ICIIERJR I c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents v FORM po'wso I USCOMM-DC wan-Poo 0.5. GOVERNHENT'PRINTING OFFICE ll9 0-36-83 

1. Apparatus for enclosing a stack of flat articles comprising a tale having a flat top surface; stack confining means including a rear gate and a forward gate movable from positions located beneath said surface to spaced positions extending above said surface; a switch extending into the path of a stack of folded cartons in advance of said forward gate, said rear gate being actuated for movement from beneath said surface to a position above said surface responsive to movement of a stack of folded cartons across said switch; timing means actuated by said switch for moving said front gate to its position above the tabletop responsive to movement of said rear gate to its position extending above said tabletop; means for moving said gates while they extend above said surface relatively towards each other to squeeze a stack of articles positioned therebetween; and means for retracting said gates to positions below said surface after said stack has been enclosed within an endless band while being compressed between said gates.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having in addition, an edge guide movable from the back of said table transversely towards and away from said rear gate while said rear gate extends above said surface.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having a switch extending above said tabletop in the path of an endless band when the band descends over said switch, said gates being retracted to positions below said tabletop surface responsive to actuation of said switch by the endless band as it descends over a stack of articles while they are compressed between said gates. 